Exultate Justi Praise the Just
by Iamnobodyspecialkazy5
Summary: What is evil? When a pony is discovered brutally murdered Twilight Sparkle and Spike embark on an investigation that'll put both their lives in grave danger,and send them on an adventure to discover some of Equestria's darkest and most well kept secrects


Exultate Justi

Part one "Bad Moon Rising"  
I see the bad moon arisin'  
I see trouble on the way  
I see earthquakes and lightnin'  
I see bad times today  
Don't go around tonight  
well, it's bound to take your life  
there's a bad moon on the rise - John Fogerty

Darkness, it was night and only lamps illuminated the town of Pony-Ville. It wasn't often it rained in Pony-Ville, but this night a fine mist of water spread through the town like fog. No one went outside, everyone stayed inside, well that is all except for two ponies. He had been waiting, his anger building, tonight was the night, he knew it was, the forces of nature agreed, the night conspired to make the conditions nearly perfect. He wasn't here without purpose, in fact he was here for a very specific purpose and all he had to do was wait, and wait he did. It didn't take too long, but eventually some pony came stumbling by holding her umbrella, the pony never saw him approach and rise up from behind, never heard his light footsteps, never saw the growing shadow. By the time he was on her it was too late, blood curdled and bubbled in her mouth as she tried to breathe, blood gushed and spat from her throat. When he opened up her chest as if performing an autopsy she was already dead. But he was looking for something, and when he found it, he took it and placed it into his pouch (saddlebag?). Glancing at his work, a sense of pride filled him, he was an artist and this was his new grisly exhibition for all ponies to see. The ritual was done correctly, it almost felt natural, and it certainly felt good. After a few minutes admiring his work and made sure he left no nasty evidence. He walked away, fulfilled, and excited, it was just the beginning, and the rest would be just as marvellous.

Early the next morning it didn't take long for someone to find it. Applejack was wandering by on her way to set up her apple store when she (found/saw) the body. Dropping her basket of apples she tried to scream at the gruesome discovery. It was the pony's mouth, it had closed nearly shut, but her tongue rested outside her mouth, lying in a pool of her own blood some of which was sprayed all over the wall. Apple Jack suddenly found the ability to scream, so she did, and it was loud enough to wake the dead, although it didn't. After a few minutes a gore hungry crowed of ponies looking both disgusted and confused gathered as if it was a new work of expensive art, in a gallery of grotesque. No one however walked away the same, and in the crowd stood a pony, but he was neither surprised or disgusted, he was very good at faking it however, he just copied the other ponies, but deep down inside he was very happy, and he felt like a true artist changing their lives with the slash and cut of a knife, and any pony could be his canvas. When the royal guard showed up and spoke about how little there was to see he did what any pony would do, he walked away in silence. "Holy apples from space, she was cut up real good, you there! Blueberry Blossom, tell Celestia right away, get her to send someone who can deal with this disaster!" Blueberry Blossom ran as fast as she could, and within half an hour the queen was well informed and she sent a letter to someone she knew she could trust with this crime.

Spike was sitting down; proud of the breakfast he had made for Twilight Sparkle. He felt his tummy rumble, 'But I just ate' he thought, then a green flame burst from out of his mouth and his quick reflexes guided his hand to catch the scroll. His eyes glanced over the letter from Celestia, it was very direct, he could tell from the writing it was written in a rush. "Uhm Twilight we have to go, like right now." He called out to Twilight from the other side of the house (Library?) and from the other side of the house he got a response. "What? Why!" She yelled back at spike. "It's an order from Celestia, something bad has happened we need to go, NOW!" Spike yelled as he opened the door and watched as Twilight impatiently power walked past him outside into Pony-Ville muttering something a little offensive about Princess Celestia. Spike scurried out slamming the door behind him and ran ahead of Twilight who followed him to the scene of the crime.

"Oh thank apples you're here! We've been waiting, she's just here." Twilight didn't respond, she just wondered who it was she was seeing, was it the Princess? When she turned into the alley she could see it, her jaw dropped with Spike's. With every hoof landing on the ground the grisly image became much clearer. "What on earth did this!" Twilight spat at the Guard. "Uhm well, as of now my thinking is this, well, you see, actually, hmmm, could it be dragons?" Twilight was amazed at the intellect of the guard, "A dragon wouldn't have… couldn't have done this… Also someone would have seen such a thing. Did anyone hear anything?" She answered and questioned as she began to inspect the body. "Well as of now, myself and other guards have done a door to door and thus far no one has come forward with any evidence." He might be stupid but so far he has known and carried out the correct procedure. "Spike, take a note!" Twilight demanded. "Do I have to, this is kind of gross…" Spike rarely resisted Twilight's commands but now was a time that spike needed to do what he was told. "Spike, I said take a note." He said nothing, just nodded, Twilight didn't even see him nod she just continued to look and inspect the body. "Throat was cut left to right. Her stomach has been opened up. Almost as if something has been removed, this is just so… methodical, as if the pony that did this was cutting an apple, but with care, but none for the apple of course." Spike rapidly wrote everything down that Twilight said, she stood up and stared at the blood. "The murder happened here, judging from the spatter, which is how we can tell the direction of the cut. You see had the killer cut the other way blood would have spurted on him, but as you can observe there is no such break in the spatter. Organise for the body to be taken to my home, I will need to conduct an autopsy, and find out what this sick pony took." Spike was still taking notes as the Guard nodded, "Spike you don't need to write down that last bit about bringing me the body (me bringing/taking the body?) ." Twilight added, Spike looked up at her and blushed. "oh, woops…" He made a shy laugh. Twilight and Spike headed home.

Twilight sat down in her chair, and spike sat across the room. Spike looked at her but she gazed out and into her mind, in a state of transfixed deep thought. Spike interjected Twilights thinking by speaking ending the silence. "Whoever did this is evil." He stated. Twilight glared at him, then spoke. " I don't know, evil is such a, it's such a harsh word. Yes one can look at the lack of passion that the crime was committed with and say who ever did is evil, however I would disagree. I would say that whoever did this has a purpose, a reason for doing it, and this won't be the last time we hear from this pony." She spoke, Spike listened intently. "But the victim wasn't planned. It just seemed to happen, didn't it?" Spike asked Twilight, it took her a moment to think of a response. "He waited… in the shadows, it didn't matter who, it probably never will, a blank canvas is a blank canvas, the message will be the same. For somepony like this…" "Or something" spike interrupted, "It's still a pony not matter what the pony does. Now as I was saying… yes…Somepony like this the message is the motive, all we have to do is discover his message, whatever it is it was not clear, this means there will be another murder, and soon. Whichever pony did this is intelligent and we can assume would know the message wasn't clear, maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe this was merely to get our attention." Twilight again began gazing into herself, she could already feel the weight of this case pressing down on her, and nothing she has ever seen was like it. "It is pure evil. To just, to just kill someone, how can that be with just cause!" Spike questioned Twilight responded " Everything that happens is merely a reaction to something that has already happened, and every reaction has an equal and opposite effect, something monstrous happened to this pony, and it thus created a monster, but do I believe this pony to be truly evil, truly cold and uncaring, no! I do not! I believe he just simply cares about something more than his victim's life's." Twilight answered leading to yet another question "What could he possibly care about more than the lives of innocent ponies!" Spike was getting angry; he could not wrap his mind around the notion. "That spike, is the right question." Twilight paused, "other ponies?" Twilight gestured "The same pony that cut the throat and stomach open of an innocent passerby?" Spike looked confusedly at Twilight. "You're right, rubbish theory." Twilight stated. Then there was a knock on the door.  
A voice came through the thick wood "Uhm miss Sparkle, we have a rather large delivery for you!" Spike jumped up and threw the door opened and stepped to the side as two ponies carrying a stretcher filled with a dead pony. Twilight pushed all the books off her table; they tumbled off the edge and each book dropped and impacted the ground with a loud THUD! Twilight pulled out her collection of autopsy equipment. "Yes thank you boys for bringing her to me!" Twilight said with a smile and they nodded and left. "Uhm Twilight, I uhh, I really don't wanna watch." Spike said sheepishly expecting an angry glare or an order to obey, instead Twilight turned and smiled. "Why of course spike! This is some nasty business! Just sit on the steps and take note of what I say." She finished and went through her tools picking up a rather large knife, she giggled. Spike wandered half up the stairs so Twilight and her cadaver were out of sight but not ear shot. "I am making a V-like cut into the victims chest, this will hopefully get me some room to look around… yes… all the guts (intestines? knowing Twi she would probably speak more formally in this instance) seem to be in place, no damage at all to her lower body… I am going to start removing organs." A few squishy/watery Splosh, shplunch, SQUEALCH's later twilight continued "I think I know what's missing; I think it's her heart! Oh yes, it's the heart!" Twilight finished without thinking Spike ran down the stairs excitedly "Yay great what does that…" His eyes saw Twilight Sparkle wearing an apron painted in blood, standing next to a table with bowls full of guts and organs next to a dead pony, He blew out smoke from his mouth gagging in shock. Twilight came over to help and gave him a hug, looking down he realized she didn't take her apron off. He screamed, ran out the door to spit fire and smoke outside away from Twilight, who realised that Spike was now a little bit spotted with red splotches of pony blood. She giggled.

It was dark again, but this time he didn't need to wait. This time he brought his canvas with him, like a packed lunch, just he wasn't going to eat her, but it did briefly cross his mind. But his love for ritual and pattern stopped him. It was as simple as feeding her grapes laced with a tranquilizer, that was all it took, ponies in this part of Equestria were so trusting. He knew there were other places that were different, very different, not nice places. She was quiet and still, her lack of consciousness meant that this time he could take a little time, get into a rhythm, and savour the experience. Left to right, just like before, blood, again, he didn't like blood, but he knew it was a necessary part of his ritual. Then slice and into the stomach he went fossicking. He removed the heart, and placed it next to the body, he watched as the blood seeped out. It made him happy, but not fulfilled. He placed the note under the apple and the heart in his satchel (?) . The beauty of the body lit only by the moon sent chills through him, "another masterpiece, another thought provoking installation, how could this happen so soon, my good sir you are a true artist!" He said to himself, "Haha, well yes, I try very hard, I give it my best, I just hope that the message really gets taken seriously, also I would like to thank my one time only canvas, what did she say her name was? Hmm something like daffodil doesn't matter now I have made her immortal!" he answered himself; the conversation went on, all the way to his hideout.  
The guards now patrolled early in the morning. It was about ten minutes into their walk around Pony-Ville they discovered the new victim. Blueberry Blossom and Sugar Oyster knew exactly who to get. The knock on Twilight Sparkle's door came only three minutes after the find. Twenty minutes after being informed Twilight stepped out of the house and walked out into the early morning, the sun gently rising behind her. Such things didn't concern her, what concerned her, was this feeling, it was as if someone was watching her, right behind her, laughing. "Wait, Twilight Sparkle" Called Spike from behind her holding a funny looking hat and wearing a funny looking cap. "Put this on, it will keep your head warm and it will make u look more professional." He said Holding it up at her, Twilight eyed the hat suspiciously. "What is it?" She asked, looking at the hat which appeared to her to have wing shaped ear covers hanging off it. "It's a deer stalker, just put it on, and trust me?" He said smiling holding it up to her, she lowered her head and Spike planted the deer stalker on her head. "Hmm its rather comfy, haha" she said, the guard Sugar Oyster looked at them without even a flash of amusement, cleared his throat then said "Well yes, uhm we must seriously be on our way with haste so we can get this out of the public eye as fast as possible, right on our way then!" He said to Spike and Twilight Sparkle.  
The crime scene was already surrounded by onlookers and the press taking pictures. Nosing through the ponies; Oyster, Spike and Sparkle made it to the Rainbow coloured tape, which the public and press weren't allowed to cross. "Cor blimey, don't take 'em long to find the bodies does it?" Blueberry said to Oyster. Twilight ignored it and went straight into investigating. It was all the same, throat cut from left to right, chest cut open, Twilight therefore assumed that the heart also had been removed from this victim. "So it's all the same then?" Twilight asked the Guard Ponies. "Well, no you see, this time there was a message, and it was left beneath a rotten apple. "That's, rather interesting isn't Twilight?" Spike said. "Yes it is, what pray can Equestria's finest Guard Ponies tell me about this note?" Twilight said doing her best to flatter the guards to keep them happy. The looks on their faces alone told her that she wouldn't find her answer here. "Well if you'd like to know you must go see Princess Celestia! I will gladly accompany yourself and your dragon to her castle. "Yes that does sound as if it would be necessary what say you spike? Do we find out what the note says?" Spoke Twilight. "Uhm I guess so?" Spike answered Twilight. "Good, we should go right away, Blueberry get the body taken to Doctor Whoves for an autopsy, I will trust he knows what he is doing. Let's go." A normal pony doesn't usually like being told what to do, but guard ponies loved it, it was part of what made them so dim and so good at being guards, they could follow orders. "Alright off we trot then!" Oyster said.  
The throne room was mostly empty, colourful tapestries hung from the ceiling, images of flowers and ponies, a long purple carpet flowed directly to Princess Celestia's throne on which she sat chewing on an apple brought to her by one of her handmaids on a purple velvet pillow. The throne rooms doors burst open Oyster Guard Pony lead Twilight and Spike into the room. Princess Celestia looked up still chewing and smiled. With a large GULP she swallowed the apple. "Why hello there, my most favourable student Twilight Sparkle, and of course her most trustworthy assistant Spike!" Spike blushed, Twilight bowed. "Uh why yes your ah… majestic!" Spike said "Majesty, Spike, 'ee' sound." Twilight corrected, he giggled. "Oh yes, majesty!" Princess Celestia laughed at the matter and continued "I assume you have come to read the note left by the criminal?" She asked twilight. "Why yes your majesty, it would be much appreciated and also helpful to the case." Twilight answered, she both literally and metaphorically looked up at Princess Celestia. "If you are to follow this case up it will lead you to a rather horrifying discovery about Equestria, and what you discover, and also who you discover must stay a secret, or you will be banished, exiled as traitors to the state… both of you." Spike looked nervously at Twilight, and Twilight gave a nod of reassurance to him. "Alright we understand." Twilight said to Celestia. "Good, I want you to catch this killer, and I want it done quickly, I want no more lives lost to his insanity, AND IT IS INSANITY, therefore anything that this killer says must be dismissed as the ramblings of a lunatic, do you understand?" Celestia looked straight at Twilight, her stare not allowing Twilight to look away, Twilight gulped and replied "We understand." Celestia looked at her for another moment then pulled out a piece of paper that seemed spotted with dark red brown marks from the pocket in her dress. Twilight approached her, took the note from her hands and read it out loud  
"Dear Twilight Sparkle…" she paused, he knows who I am? She thought "I would like very much to meet you soon, you seem ever so clever. I suppose you're wondering who I am, I come after the sun and follow behind every pony always where there is light. I come from the land within, a land forgotten and robbed of its wealth. P.S. You have a very nice house. Catch. You. Later." He knows me, he knows where I live, he must know about Spike, am I next? Twilight thought. "Quickly spike we must hurry back home!" Twilight yelled as she ran out of the hallway not saying goodbye, Spike ran quickly behind her yelling "BYE PRINCESS CELESTIA!"

They arrived at the house, panting, their saliva tasted funny and their stomachs hurt. Whats happened to the door? Twilight thought, trotting over she touched the door knob. It was wet. Wet with a thick red liquid. Blood. Ignoring her better judgement she turned the handle to look inside, she knew he had been here, and she knew he was watching her. Spike stayed outside. A line of apples, specifically rotten apples some with bites in them some without, created a trail for Twilight to follow, leading straight to her table. On the table were two candles placed at opposite ends of the table, anyone seeing the table would instantly think it was for a romantic restraint for two lovers, but this was something much more personally, because on a plate in the centre of the table between the candles sat a heart, neatly placed on a white plate. The image shocked Twilight, she didn't know how to react, it felt so personal. Walking up to the table she noticed a nice envelope sealed with red wax, when the wax was wet it had dripped now the back of the envelope looked like the throats of one of the killers victims. She checked the front, it merely read Twilight. Although the letter was addressed to her, she didn't feel comfortable opening it, she didn't want to know what was inside. Regardless of what she felt she broke the seal and looked inside. Another note she thought. She pulled the letter out, and read it to herself. The note read  
'Travel to the Heartland on the midnight train tonight. Meet me the killer at 22 Love Joy Road. Discover the rotten apple of our rotten society. Love From N.S. xox'  
"Spike, book us the midnight train to Heartland!" She called out to him. "Uhm sure thing twilight…" He walked off towards the train station to book a ticket, although he wondered where this 'Heartland' was, considering he had never heard of it before. Twilight began packing….  
Sleeping on a train is hard… Twilight thought to herself as she threw herself around trying to get comfortable. The train just rattled on. Spike across from her was not having any troubles at all. 'Maybe it's not the train keeping me awake' she wondered 'but what if it's all these gruesome sights, they must have some kind of impact on a pony?' She also thought about the possibility that the killer could be sleeping beneath her right now, and she wouldn't know, she had no idea what the killer looked like, they could have shaken hooves, passed at the train station, and she wouldn't have known, 'but he would…'  
"AAAAAAAAARGH!" A woman's voice screamed from inside the carriage. Twilight leapt out of bed and fell to the floor, the train rolled around a corner sending her of balance landing into the bed next to her. "Sorry" she whispered and slid the slide door open and ran down the corridor to the final room. A girl pony was standing there gasping looking into the room. Twilight poked her head around. The body lay in the sheets, throat slit. Red thick blood pooled in the sheets and had sprayed across the wall and roof of the cabin. A single streak of blood had shot across the window, but it was thick, so little drops flowed from the source as if it were in fact a wound. Twilight saw her own reflection tainted with blood. By her feet was a piece of paper the upper right edge had absorbed some blood and as she picked it up it dripped, it read "I Love trains… here's to us Twi xox" She ran out of the room she looked around. There was no one but the pony that discovered the body. He is here, he is on the train! Twilight thought.

Spike Screamed…

Part 2 "The Speed Of Pain."

"What was it brought you out here in the dark?  
Was it your only way of making your mark  
Did you get rid of all the voices in your head?  
Do you now miss them and the things that they said?

On your own admission you raised up the knife  
And you brought it down ending another man's life  
When it was done you just threw down the blade  
While the red blood spread wider like the anger you made

I don't want this anger that's burning in me  
It's something from which it's so hard to be free  
But none of the tears that we cry in sorrow or rage  
Can make any difference, or turn back the page" – David Gilmour

The train rattled, 'this was a lot easier when the ground was still' he thought. He crept closer to the girl slept in her bed, wrapped up warmly in blankets. 'If she can sleep through this trains noise she won't notice me' and she didn't. He inched closer and closer. His breath touched her neck. He raised his knife. He threw his hoof over her mouth as he slashed the knife across her throat. Blood squirted out. He pressed his hoof harder against her mouth as she tried to scream, nothing but muffled sound came out, and the train's noise drained it out. In that moment he looked into her eyes and she looked into his, this is what he loved about it, because it was romantic, romance of the highest form; because in that moment he saw her for all that she was and could be, and he knew her, and in that moment she saw the murderous rage, she saw the coldness, she saw him without the lies, without the mask. In that one moment they knew each other. He was relieved as he removed his hoof from her mouth. Blood streamed out down her cheek and he began cutting into her chest. Hoofsteps. Coming closer. He knew it. He had to finish quickly, no time to savour the kill. He grabbed the heart with his mouth ripped it out and dropped it in his bag. He dropped the note and then he opened the doors and walked out into the next carriage.

Spike screamed….

Twilight turned and galloped down the hallway. She flung the slide door across and stared in at Spike. He was sitting up, laminated in a thin film of sweat. "Are you alright Spike!" twilight yelled her eyes wide with fear and relief. "Well, I just dreamt about being kidnapped by the killer and being fed to a giant monster!" he yelled. "Oh well then…" Twilight spun around and galloped back to the scene of the crime. It was nothing new. The blood, the throat, this time however it was nastier. More guts had been pulled out and to the side. It wasn't just a crime scene and Twilight knew it. This was not sending a message this was making a point. The point was Twilight knew nothing, and had no way of stopping him. Looking into the eyes of the mess that once was a pony she knew she had stop him to find out why. Why so many ponies have had to die. The train continued through darkness until the next morning.

She opened her eyes. Spike was looking at her. His lips were moving but all twilight saw was a purple blur waving his arms. "Spike what?" Twilight said dazed. "We're here. And the Guards have already taken the body. Now all we need to do is find that address!" spike said excitedly, at the point of the morning that it was Twilight herself could not find such energy. She stood up. Stepping out of the train was like stepping through a door to another dimension. The light glared at them, making sight difficult they both used their arms as shields from the sun. First of all the train station was barley that. It was just a dirty old platform with a roof that homeless ponies slept under, covered in dirt, their clothes raggy and torn. Spike looked shocked, and so did twilight. "Uhm where are we?" Spike asked. "We have certainly arrived at our destination. I have never seen such a place." Twilight said. Looking around the whole place was seemingly made of tin and wood sticks.

They walked through the sweltering heat. Passing ponies who looked withered and nearly dead. The floor was littered with rubbish. A few young ponies ran past, they were dirty, and their hair shaggy and unkempt. The tin sheds they walked past were homes. Wires linked shanty to shanty in this mess of dirt and tin. Nothing but mats on the floor for the bed, chair and couch, many of the people they passed glared and muttered. This was not a friendly place. Merchants screamed and yelled, desperately crying out for the attention of those passing. They looked down an alley that was narrow. A pony lay on the ground; two other ponies kicked him and screamed crying out for help. No pony took notice, no pony seemed to care. Spike looked up at Twilight as if to say 'DO SOMETHING' she just shook her head, there was no dialogue needed. They weren't here to stop crimes and affect justice; they were here to solve a mystery. A merchant called out directly at Twilight. "Hey you, pretty purple one, here, here, one as lovely as you cannot pass SlimeWater's Store !" he declared. Twilight blushed, it wasn't often people called her pretty, and she liked it. Wandering over she looked at the merchant. He was missing an eye and wore a patch, his teeth were rotten and he smelt like the rest of the shanty town, a smell that was not a pleasant one.

"So, you have stopped at SLIMEWATERS STORE! What can I do for the pretty purple one?" He asked looking at twilight as if they had been friends forever. "Information, my good merchant Slimewater. Tell me all about this… heartland…" Twilight looked into his eyes and he looked away over at spike who was wandering away to another merchant who was stationed across from him. They sold the same things, but for some reason they always went to Sharp, it always made Slime jealous. There once was a time when Slime was thought to be the best merchant in all of heartland. Not anymore. "We are forgotten. They never care about us. Those rich ones like a, you know that name Celestia. She live in caslte, we live in tin shed. She eat three meals a day, we eat three meals a week!" He was angry at her. Twilight felt embarrassed and even a little ashamed since she was studying under her. He spat "She never cared for us, she tax us greatly, Slime water is taxed so much Slime water can't afford food. You think she cares? Me think not!" His level of English was poor. He clearly didn't go to school. Twilight wondered if they even have schools in such a place. "The heartland rots and no one cares! This place needs help, this place needs ponies to care, but no ponies do. They let us stay here, to die and rot, while they live in happiness and cheer. BAH, you can't have great wealth without great poverty!" He was right, Twilight never even knew that places like this existed. "What about the violence eh? Who gonna stop that, all the time someone killing someone else! Now we have even more of that, since they shut down that Looney bin. All the time you see it, now I hear some pony be going round cutting out hearts of girls in Pony-Ville." He spat again "Bah that's what those cupcake, cheese eating thief's get. Revenge haha, know now they do what it like to live in heartland!" He wasn't finished but twilight had to interrupt. "Wait closed down what asylum?" Twilight asked. "Ah the one over on love joy!" Slime water declared smiling showing his brown teeth that were rotten nearly all the way through. "Wow spike did you hear that!" Twilight turned. Spike was gone. In his place stood an orphaned child wearing a little cap, covered in dirt. He spoke shyly but with volume in order to be heard of the ruckus of the city. His large eyes sparkled as he looked up at her "Are you twilight sparkle?"

"Why yes, I am?" Twilight was confused as the pony handed the letter to her. In that moment she knew. Her heart felt like it sank to her hoofs. She tore it open. "Catch me if you can, let's hope spike is as entertaining as he looks. His life may depend on it.. xox" The letter gave her chills, it wasn't about spike it was about her, she knew she couldn't live with the knowledge that she was the pony that caused Spikes death, she caused his birth, she wouldn't cause his death. She went to ask the boy about the letter. He was gone, vanished into the swarm of dirt, flies and sweat that heartlands population was seemingly covered with. Twilight threw some bits at Slimewater, "Tell me how to get to that asylum!"

Galloping she pushed through the dirty underbelly of pony population. She went as fast as she could trying not to get lost. Speeding through ponies, jumping over boxes, she raced, faster, she knew she needed to be faster. She pushed an old pony over and yelled "sorry!" it wasn't far now, but her mouth tasted funny, and her heartbeat drummed louder than anything else in the heartland. She could see it. She could see the asylum. It was an old building, stained with green splotts that seemingly streamed down the wall. Bars covered the windows. A wall higher than any shanty or pony surrounded the Asylum. She was running straight at the wall. She turned to the left, following the wall. Twilight knew at some point the wall ended and a gate began. It took some galloping but she eventually found the gate. She pushed through the gate and ran through the court yard. The courtyard was desolate. Two squares full of dirt had weeds growing out of it and there was a tree. But twilight ignored such things and ran at the door. She ran at it and jumped not knowing if it was locked or not. She covered her face with her front legs. The Door pushed off its hinges sending fragments of wood splintering out. The door crashed down on the floor with a loud Crash sound. "Spike! SPIKE!"

Her head darted around looking left right and up. She spotted a stair case. The emptiness didn't bother her. Nor did the feeling that she was being watched, and she was. "Hellooooo Twilight Sparkle, it is an honour to finally meet you." A voice said over the loud speakers. "TWILIGHT OH SUGAR DROPS HELP ME!" Spike screamed. The voice laughed. "So now you know I really do have the boy. I can see why you like him. He is such fun to watch, the way he hurts himself, I need a live in Idiot as well." As the voice spoke she smashed doors open looking for Spike. "For Sugars sake would you stop doing that, he isn't here! You're not going to find anyone or thing unless I want you too? Is that understood? YOU ARE MINE." The voice said deep and with force. The words pushed through her soul and filled her body with fear. The phone down stairs began to ring. "Pick it up twilight so I can hear you voice." The voice commanded, twilight had no choice but to do what she was told. He was right, he owned her, he had spike. She picked up the phone. A deep breath exhaled, the phone line crackled. "So my work so far, its brilliant isn't it?" The voice said, the voice was excited it was as if it was the first time the voice had spoken and it was eager to form letters into syllables, syllables into words. "no." was all Twilight said. The voice chuckled a knowing laugh that put twilight on edge, he wasn't playing with her mind as part of the game, as part of the message, he was doing because HE COULD. "Oh please, you see the art for what it is, your one of the few people who can actually do such a thing and see my art see my message all for what it s. Don't you get it? it's all about you? The message? The hearts?" The voice seemed nearly disappointed. Twilight began to get mad "No of course I don't get it!" She said bitterly, a tone of voice which the voice on the end of the line didn't like. " I have taken the hearts of four ponies. Now come see where I lost mine. Room 307" The voice said and hung up.

Twilight dropped the phone without even putting it back on the hook and galloped at full pace up the stairs. The flight of stairs squared up further as her hoofs beat down on the hard floor, the clopping noise was very loud. She reached the third floor. Her head snapped both ways in search of the seventh room. She looked right and saw room 306 so she ran to it knowing that around the corner was 307. She turned the corner sliding on her heels and bumping against the wall. The pain hit her and left as she ran into the room, the door swung open and whacked against the wall. Although the room was empty it was full.

Drawings covered the walls. Little kids drawings. Poorly done, wriggling circles and zigzag lines, everything distorted and multi-colored there was nothing quite right with the grotesque childish drawings. They mostly showed blood, and violence, the development of a true madpony. "hello" Someone spoke behind Twilight, she turned in shock face wide and open. An elder female pony stood there, she looked tired. Hey eyes seemed to be constantly gazing out into the distance. "Uhm who are you?" Twilight asked. She looked at her. Her mouth open and began to speak, "I am the care-er. I looked after him since he was little, since they left. But I stayed with him I did. It didn't matter, aint nothing no one can do for that one. He lost in his own mind. Hurt people he does. He'll kill me next. He wants you to watch." In the few days the case had been open this was the closest Twilight had been to any actual clue. "Wait hold on who is he?" Twilight needed a name. "He is evil. He rises when the sun falls, and follows you wherever there is light." The care taker said ominously. "I asked for his name!" Twilight said loudly, her impatience grew, she felt uncomfortable, she knew she was standing in the room the killer lost his heart. "Night Shadow" The name couldn't have been more perfect, the night shadow slaughterer, the night shadow slayings, newspapers all over Equestria would have a field day with this name. "What's wrong with this… Night Shadow?" Twilight asked. The woman giggled. She was filthy, it seemed that everyone in this place, this Heartland had no sense of personal hygiene. "oh there are many things wrong with him. He thinks he is here to save us. He only wants to fix our land. This is just his way of making his mark. He likes you, talks a lot about you since he came back he did. Said you were pretty, and clean. He was sure right." Twilight thought that it was interesting what did he feel he had to save these ponies from there was no imminent danger. "What made him this way?" Twilight asked, the better she understood him and his motives the easier it would be to discover how he thinks and through that, learn of a way to stop him. "He was always a very disturbed child. He lived on the streets, he only ate rotten apples. That's all he eats nowadays, anything else makes him angry, even ice cream. When they closed this place down, I stayed I did, promised to look after him you see, and I tried, but he grew. He became too strong for the likes o' me to control. " There was a solemn moment then, as Twilight realized that she couldn't catch him here alone and bring him back to Pony-Ville, and take him to Celestia. Then the caretaker looked at Twilight, her eyes sang a song of sadness. She closed the door. It locked instantly, an old system but A strong one. She looked through the dirty glass at her, seeing all she need to clearly.

He came like a ghost. She didn't resist, maybe she knew it was futile maybe she gave up on life a long time ago. "They say pain can travel at a speed of 119 meters a second. But that's a physical pain, what of a physiological pain, how fast does fear take to spread through your body? How long will it take to fix a soul as broken as mine? Do you know of such things caretaker?" He said grabbing her mane pulling her head up to face his. He was black. His body was scarred, with long and short pink lines, he had clearly been through many brawls. His eyes were a piercing cold stare, the kind of dark blue eyes that seem to penetrate through to your soul. He spoke at her but would receive no answer. He didn't expect to. He had killed to protect himself, he had killed to save his land, he had killed for pleasure, but this time, this kill was for closure, the marking of new dawns light. "For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Twilight couldn't hear what he was saying, but she knew he was speaking. "what does that mean Shadow?" The caretaker said with anger, but more so disappointment. For so long she tried. She had failed, and this was the punishment for that failure. "It means, although now you only see a tiny, obscure and warped version of reality, but at some point we will come face to face with our reality, and know the truth behind our existence." He smiled as he looked into his reflection in the knife he held to her face. Twilight struggled, throwing herself against the door.

If her screams were being heard, no one took notice. As he brought the knife across her throat she stopped, and she watched. She didn't want to watch the hot messy blood run down the caretakers neck. She didn't want to see her eyes roll up into her skull as she tried desperately to breath, but couldn't suck in the oxygen, as the blood stopped running to her mind. A line of blood travelled carefully out of her mouth and dropped down into the puddle forming on the ground to join the rest of the mess. Shadow smiled, this was a rare moment. Two artists, sharing the moment of creation, shared the sight of the canvas taking form. Picasso watching Van Gogh, it was beautiful moment. He had waited so long. He picked her head up by the mane and smacked the face of the care taker against Twilights small window. Blood pushed out of the wound and crept up the glass, fighting gravity, then lost and dribbled down the door. Twilight stared into the eyes of the dead caretaker. Inside she had the feeling that she may soon meet the same fate. As shadow let the body drop to the floor he saw the blood on the small window and thought back to what he had said 'we see through a glass, darkly' he wiped the blood with his hoof, smearing it, thinning it out so Twilight could see the art, but through the glass, darkly. He cut her chest open. Pulling out all the nasty organs in excitement her tore, pulled and ripped like a child opens a present at Christmas. The heart still gently throbbed inside the body. Which is why the blood still spat and sputtered out of the cut in the neck of the caretaker, the ritual was fulfilled, and then something more, the throat, left to right, the stomach open, intestines and other organs removed, as much as possible. But this time it felt different as he stared at the mess of mangled bloody meat that he had created with delicate precision and care. The rush came from someone watching. Something he now knew to do more often.

Twilight saw it all in horror she wanted to throw up, but even her vomit was too sick to rush up out of her throat. She felt funny, he legs went to jelly, and suddenly standing on all her legs was a challenge. Transfixed however she was by the meat that once was the Caretaker pony. A tear left her eye and drove slowly down her face. Shadow stood up and walked to the door. His long face was only centimeters away from hers; the only thing that separated them was the door. Suddenly Twilight was thankful for its existence. Shadows breath fogged the glass, and so did Twilights, they saw each other, but they were yet to fully understand each other. Yet there they stood, in mutual curiosity, equal anger. Spikes words echoed in Twilights ears 'whoever did this is evil' yet when she looked into his through blood and breath, she didn't see evil. Twilight saw purpose, and it was a purpose, and a pony she needed to understand before it was too late. He pulled the slider open. Paralyzed Twilight said nothing, an envelope dropped in. Shadow walked away.

Twilight opened the letter, it read

'Dear_ Twilight Sparkle,_

_I have your partner spike. I will leave him unharmed… I think. The stage my love is near completion, and the audiences are hungry for the final act. You my dear are not ready however for the concluding performance, something I am rather disappointed with as I did hope to finish much earlier. No haste however at your own pace, what I do next will be a lot bigger, the attention is needed and so is your understanding which as of now you clearly lack. I intend to change that. Twilight my love, future ponies will look back on my actions, and on my life, and they __WILL__ say that I gave birth to the new world…._

_From The Shadow.'_

Now all she needed to do was escape. " Just stay calm it must be possible." She said to herself looking around the room. The grotesque drawings flooded into her eyes as she looked. The windows were bared. The floor was concrete and so were the walls. She glanced over the Piece of Cardboard taped to the wall several times before she realized what it was. She walked up to it and turned around and buck kicked it. If there was a wall behind it the cardboard would not have caved in as it did. A flash of hope. She ripped the sticky tape off as it pulled off the layer of cardboard it stuck to the panel began to lean. Finally after removing the sticky tape that ran across the top of the board she was able to stick her leg behind it and push it out, it tore of the wall with the sound of plastic ripping.

There was in fact a hole cut out of the wall, just sizeable enough for Twilight to squeeze through, which is exactly what she did. Pushing through the hole, the edges of the dugout concrete scrapped along her, scratching her. She felt every cut grow across her body as she wriggled through. Once her arms were on the outside she need only to pull herself through. She scrapped her body and hind legs through the hole and crawled out to the other side. The door on this side of the wall was open. As she lay on her back looking up at the monochrome rooms ceiling, cut, bruised and afraid, her only thought was for spike….

Spikes eyes fluttered open, he saw everything around him but it was lit darkly. A dark coloured pony stood only meters away from him. He tried to scream. He only made muffled sound. The pony turned around, it was Shadow. "Hey little buddy…" Shadow said trying to calm down spike who was beginning to sweat and his eyes tear up. "Tell me spike, are you ready to write history?" Again all attempts to scream were foiled, and yet again Shadow was seen, but not clearly….

Part 3 "Riders on the Storm"

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster."

Friedrich Nietzsche

The cave was dark, but lit well enough by candles that danced and twisted in the cave. It was the third time now he had done it whilst someone watched, the second time had to be done differently though whilst the guest watched, the second needed its blood removed and stored for later. It wasn't as exhilarating though because he didn't understand the art, Beethoven was performing for the deaf. This however did not deter nor slow Night Shadow; he knew what he was doing. Left to right, stomach open, heart out, the ritual repeated as it would again… but not tomorrow, not next week, it would happen again tonight, two had already died tonight, to more had to go. They were chained up, the forelegs holding the weight of the rest of their bodies. The chains were old, rusty; they had been in shackles so long the metal had begun to dig into the skin, slowly shaving through the flesh, Wanda Blossoms ankles felt as if they were on fire. Her eyes were glad wrapped in moisture that began to walk along pathways down her face. She had been pulling for as long as she had been imprisoned, desperately hoping for a break, the chain and the bolts showed no signs of giving way, until now. She pulled down, the bolt budged, pulling out of its hold a fraction. That fraction, that millimeter was enough to restore all Wanda Blossoms hope. She began pulling faster, every time releasing loud exasperating breathes. It was enough to draw Night Shados attention, although he didn't appear. _HMPFF HMMPF_ she continued, faster and faster, each pull revealed more bolt. This slowly released her-self from Night Shadows grip. Until finally she stopped, waited, regaining her strength and breath. Giving out one hard pull, a pull that would drain most her energy the bolts broke away from the ceiling. Like cut rope the rusted chains fell to the floor. Beating the rusty shackles against the rock wall and large stones, they finally broke apart. She had gotten free, now she needed to escape. She stayed within the shadows. She passed what seemed a bucket; the bucket was standing in a pool of blood. There was only one in the room light, and that was on the ceiling. Directly next to the light hanging upside down, throat slit, another pony. Terror still illuminated the pony's eyes. Blood squirted and dripped from the cut neck into the bucket… mostly. Some squirts missed, splashing onto the floor, creating gruesome patterns of splatter. Blossoms tried to ignore such things and continued. The opening was insight. Freedom at last when a voice came from behind 'Psssst' it hissed. Blossoms turned, in a birdcave sat spike. Blossom of course had not met spike before so she knew not of his name, and spike as well knew nothing of blossoms. "Pleease, I need to get out he's going to kill us!" Spike whispered in a tone that sounded partially paranoid and partially petrified with fear.

"Okay I will help!" Blossoms declared picking up a rock; she walked away from the exit and toward spike. She trotted around to the back of the cage; Spike eyed her, making sure she didn't make too much noise. A noise, swift and sure whipped through the air, the object planted itself into the back of Blossoms leg. She gasped in pain, then began to cry again, as she limped as fast as she could toward the caves exit. Night Shadow crawled out of the darkest and walked slowly, taking his time; he had no need to rush. He walked in the bloody trail of Blossom and her leg wound. By the time he was basically breathing on her, he ripped the knife out. Killing all her ability to use that left leg, the leg gave out and she began cry and crawling for the exit. He stepped next to her, turned facing her side on, and planted the knife into her right leg. Blossoms screamed, only Spike, Shadow and the bats occupying the cave heard. Grabbing her by the mane, Night Shadow dragged her along the floor toward the cage as Blossoms thrashed, teared and tried to get free. Once he got close to Spike's cage he lifted her head up, exposing her throat. "Escaping, oh no, that, my dear blossom, that is what I call a _VERY_ bad idea." He spoke at Blossoms, but looked at spike, as the knife quickly and carefully sliced another throat left to right the blood splurrted out, smacking warmly against Spikes face. Spike said nothing, he didn't even cry.

Flutter shy, Rainbow dash and Twilight sat around the table drinking tea eating cookies where once lay a dissected pony. The case had been open for nearly three weeks now; it had been nearly a week since Spike got taken. "I don't know twilight… it has been a week… who knows what that crazy pony has done to him…" Flutter Shy said softly lacking confidence as usual, also as usual Rainbow Dash had to take center stage, "Yeah we should find out where this Night Shadow is and kick that ponies…" As Dash's wings fluttered to keep her afloat in the air as she kicked and punched, pretending to do battle with the Shadow Slaughterer, however midsentence she was stopped by twilight "Alright that's enough of that kind of talk!" she said as she raised her cup to her mouth to drink the hot steaming tea, which bit at her tongue and burnt her taste buds. "Maybe he is gone… you know… for good?" Flutter Shy said blue eyes widening with hope. "No, it's not over. He will do something bigger than ever before next. Something more…public" Twilight answered Flutter Shy, who instantly lost all the hope in her eyes and sunk back into her chair depressively "oh" she said as the fear of the slaughterer crept back inside her. "Don't worry Flutter Shy, your welcome to stay here as long as you want!" Twilight Sparkle said with a smile showing her white teeth spotted with chewed cookie. "uhm well… I would… but didn't you say he was watching you, knew where you lived, said he was stalking you and in love with you, also didn't you say he has already taken one of your friends?" There was a pause, Flutter Shy spoke, quickly and confidently, then as always retreated back into her shyness. "So uhm maybe not?" she said lowering her head pretending to drink the tea, really just hiding her blushing face. Twilight couldn't help but think she was right, maybe by merely being with her friends she was putting them in danger. "Maybe your right, Shadow is now confident of his abilities, and of his freedom. He knows we have no idea where he is, or what his doing. I am playing his game, and it's a dangerous game…" Twilight said. Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground. "Well twilight, I don't wanna get murdered brutally and neither does Fluttershy, so I think it's time we left, its nearly dark." She said with usual arrogance, something that often got under Twilights skin, "What? Are _you _afraid of the Shadow?" Twilight said, Fluttershy violently nodded and said with her low tone of voice "yes" Rainbow Dash just glared at Twilight "I am not!" Twilight smiled at rainbow dash a sufficient response. "Let's go Fluttershy…" The door closed, Twilights friends were gone, and she was alone…

The rose on another sunny day in the town of Pony-Ville, and light cast down illuminating the final installation by the great Shadow the Slasher, it was a sign, a message, saying to Twilight "Hey, it's time to come out and play, for the whole of equestrian to see.". Nothing would be more attention grabbing, nothing would be more awe inspiring, nothing more shocking that what Shadow had just done. Defiled the most sensitive part in Pony-Ville, the fountain, he covered the heart of Pony-Ville in blood. The fountains waters ran red. The heads of four dead ponies floated in the fountains surrounding pool they bopped and bumped against the dozens of rotten apples that also filled the water. The bloody bodies sat scattered surrounding it, the gold painted panels, dripped with blood, and small crevices created by the engravings filled with red sticky blood. The ultimate aspect of the piece was the fountain squirting blood soaked water into the air like one of the throats of Night Shadow. It was a gross overture for final part of Shadows plan, all he needed now is Twilight. "So that's what twilight meant by something bigger and more public!" Dashie said to the shocked and teary eyed Fluttershy, all she wanted to do is look away from the fountain of gore, but something about the image transfixed every pony that came to see it. A wave of fear and intrigue passed over the crowed. At the front of the crowed inspecting the bodies was Twilight wearing the deer stalker that spike gave to her.….

Looking at one of the neatly cut stumps, where a head once was planted, Twilight could hear the mob yelling and screaming. Something new, turning to see what changed the crowds mood she saw the reason standing over her, looking down into her eyes. "Hello, Twilight Sparkle." "Oh, hello Princess Celestia." Princess celestia gazed into the fountain, she saw her own reflection in the blood, as did all that surrounded the fountain. Imperfect rippled and foggy reflections seen through the blood, most ponies saw their reflections and gagged, wanting to vomit. Celestia looked at such a sight with concern, but for herself. "Hey, you two! Why in apples good name is this happening to us?" The word yes and yeah passed the lips of basically every pony in the crowed as twilight and Celestia looked at them. Celestia looked at Twilight, she remembered that she couldn't tell them the truth. The Kingdom depended on it. "He is a madman! Rest assured there is no reason fellow ponies! Also rejoice in the knowledge that his identity and whereabouts are known and he should be stopped soon!" Celestia sighed with relief, 'I taught her well' she remarked to herself in her internal dialogue. A wave of relief and confusion spread through the crowed. A guard pony started trying to settle the crowed, shouting things such as "that's enough questions now, alright" and "Everything is under control" the cop clichés continued when he told them to 'return to your homes". Celestia was now focused on gaining information from Twilight. "What do you know?" She asked. "Well princess, nothing new to be honest. Except for whatever is in this note." Twilight dipped her hoof into the cold, tainted waters, pulling out a plastic pocket containing a note. Celestia said nothing; she waited to hear what it read.  
Twilight read through the plastic. "Tonight, on the mountain top, 12:30, we shall meet. You will watch as I kill your friend, come alone." Twilight spoke aloud for Celestia. Who all of a sudden looked very concerned, "what should I do my princess" Twilight asked, seeking for guidance her eyes sparkling with uncertainty. "Do as the note says, just don't die, and don't let spike die either… Oh and by the way that is an awfully funny hat you're wearing." Princess Celestia said trotting away with a Guard. Twilight blushed and called out, "I know, but Spike gave it to me."  
Twilight sat. She spent the whole day in her lounge chair. Waiting, preparing herself for the nights encounter. Gazing out the window she watched the sun set. The purple and red mixed and copulated in the sky as the sun sank over the horizon. In this moment both Twilight and Night Shadow were connected. Night shadow stood on the mountain top also gazing out watching the sky. Hundreds of miles away the sun was also getting close to setting over the shanty towns of heartland. Dirty ponies ran through the streets, filthy, sprinting past starving ponies, stomach's bloated, mouths dry. They took no notice of the filth, no notice of the sun gently falling across the sky. The sun was now no longer visible to Twilight sparkle, it was hidden behind the houses across the street, and the sky was losing its colour turning black. The night was beginning, and Night Shadow watched, and waited for Twilight. It wasn't a clear night, clouds spotted across the sky blacking out all the stars. It was eleven O'clock when twilight left her home, wearing her jacket and Deer stalker, and she went off towards the mountain top through the darkness.  
Spike was dangled like a meat on hook over the edge of the cliff. The bird cage swayed gently in the wind. The tree branch the poked over the edge to which he was attached was bending in order to support his weight, luckily for spike it didn't break. He just sat dwindling over the edge. Nothing would keep him from falling down the cliff face to his death if the branch were to snap. It was cold. A thin layer of snow coated the ground, night shadow sat on a rock, waiting for Twilight. He could see his own breath, just as spike could. His heart wanted to race, but his breath kept the rate down, allowing for him to relax. He was ready. Twilight appeared only meters away, trotting slowly up the path way. No barriers separated them, no walls, no bars; nothing would keep Twilight safe from Night Shadow. He smiled, he was fulfilled with joy. "Twilight!" Spike called out eagerly hoping for rescue. "Hello Spike, Hello Shadow." She said with an element of bitterness, as if taunting him. Twilight knew at this point there was little risk to her life. If He wanted to kill he could have at any point but that's not what this is about, No it wasn't about killing her, it was about teaching her. But teaching her what, Twilight was yet to understand. "My dear twilight, I see you have arrived." Announced Night Shadow, standing up, taking a few steps closer to his student, the snow melted beneath his hooves. "You're powers of observation serve you well Night Shadow." Twilight complemented Night Shadow, in a patronizing way. As she said this she was making observations of own. She saw the branch, Spike in his bird cage, she saw the close proximity that Night Shadow was to the edge, She also noticed the proximity she stood to edge. The small plateau was just that, it was small. Close quarters, it would be easy to fall. A straight plunge down to the rocks below it would surely kill anything that would fall. Shadow smiled at Sparkles attempts to patronize him.  
"So do you get it yet? Do you understand?" He said with excitement. "What is there to get?" Twilight answered trying to find what the real answer was.  
"The message! The reason why I have been constructing and creating so much art!" Night shadow exclaimed. Twilights mind race, the obvious was of course the first to pass her lips. "You kill, for some deranged retribution, a vendetta? No its vengeance is it not? You feel as if you have been treated badly, and the only way to fix our broken world is to murder?" After quickly assessing the facial expression Twilight realized she was wrong. "No no, no! It's all about you!" Shadow said throwing his arms into the air spinning on the spot. Twilight was just confused. "Me?" Twilight said as her faced scrunched up with uncertainty. "I can change the way Celestia treats us, but when you're in charge, you'll know, you'll know what it's like and you'll help the Heartland. You'll save Equestria, it's your destiny." Twilight was beginning to understand, she just needed further clarification, and Night Shadow was willing to give. Twilight inched closer to Spike and Shadow. "What do you mean in charge?" Twilight Queried. "Ooh you don't know, HAH, this is to good!" Night Shadow was electric with his response teeth showing as he smiled. The moon Illuminated them. "When Celestia dies, or gets to old to make decisions, who do you think will take charge? She has produced no heir; there is no one, just her loving apprentice. Your nothing but a puppet, I'm showing you the strings." It became clear now, as Shadow smiled, sickly, with evil intentions, he was right, she was being conditioned. She was being designed to rule as Regent and Hand of the Royals, to make the real decisions of the kingdom.  
It made sense. The killings were not out of anger; they were out of compassion, to shock Twilight into doing something for the place that ponies forgot. His life had been torturous and violent, it was all he knew, and the only way he could get Twilight to hear him. And now the killer stood before Twilight, happy with what he had done, hoping to do it again, his intentions were just, for all the wrong reasons. Twilight knew looking into his eyes he had no intentions of letting spike go. But she didn't know why. He had nothing to do with it, she understood now. Small pieces of soft snow descended like feathers and touched upon their faces and mounted on their backs. Spikes tree groaned begging for the weight to be lifted. "I understand…" Twilight said, and they looked into each other's eyes and they both knew what needed to happen next. "They'll never let me go, they'll put me to death. So this is my final problem, you either kill me or I kill Spike." He laughed hysterically as he walked over to the tree. "No!"  
Twilight yelled as he kicked the tree with his hind legs, the branch shook, spike screamed and failed his hands about. The Cage slid down the branch as it bent a little more, either the branch was going to break, or the cage was going to slide off. "Hey twilight I am pretty sure this isn't going to take another kick, GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF THIS!" He screamed. Night Shadow went to kick it again. Before his hooves impacted upon the tree he was knocked over by a furious rampaging Twilight. They slid over the snow, the speed towards the edge. They began to slow down and they're necks and heads poked over the edge. Night Shadow was enjoying it. "Hahahahahahaha, you don't understand, if you don't kill me this will go on, FOREVER. One of us has to die tonight. He pushed her off of him and galloped at spike, he didn't make it far. Twilight used her magic to hold his front legs back. Throwing him head first into the snow laced rocks. He laughed.

Twilight Circled round him. He stood up, nose bloody face scratched. He was close to the tree. Twilight watched him intently. Beginning to come to terms with the possibility she might actually have to kill him. He placed one leg against the tree and began to shake it. Leaves fell and floated down the side of the cliff. Twilight reacted. She threw her body at him, twisting her body slightly saved her. The Shoulders of Twilight Sparkle pushed into the body of Night Shadow. It pushed him back two steps, except on the second step backward, there was no ground. He slipped, reaching forward he held on for one moment. Twilight looked over the edge, as she reached down to help him back up, he let go. As he fell he looked at her. Plunging, gaining speed, the rocks got bigger and bigger. From Twilights perspective he got smaller and smaller. He hit the rocks. There wasn't much of sound. No dust explosion. Just a THUMP! His body twisted, neck broken. His skull had been damaged so much it pushed out his eyeball a little. Night Shadow died on impact. ..  
Back on the top of the mountain, Twilight was using her magic to save spike. A purple glow surrounded the cage as it floated towards the ground. Spike burst out of the cage and hugged Twilight sparkle. After weeks, they had finally been reunited. "Hey is that the hat I gave you?" Spike asked. Twilight giggled as they began to walk home. "Why yes spike, it is indeed." They laughed as they began their descent, but spike still had one last question. "So after all this, do you still not believe in evil?  
THE END


End file.
